Accident summary | |
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Date | January 22, 1973 |
Type | Landing gear collapse, bad weather |
Site | Kano, Nigeria |
Passengers | 193 |
Crew | 9 |
Injuries | 26 |
Fatalities | 176 |
Survivors | 26 |
Aircraft type | Boeing 707-3D3C |
Operator | Alia |
Tail number | JY-ADO |
The Kano air disaster was a chartered Boeing 707 passenger flight on 22 January 1973 which crashed while attempting to land at Kano International Airport. 176 passengers and crew perished in the crash. It is the worst aviation disaster to ever take place in Nigeria.[1]
The Boeing 707, operated by Alia had been chartered by Nigeria Airways to fly pilgrims back from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Lagos, Nigeria. Bad weather at Lagos caused the crew to divert to Kano though the Airport there was experiencing high winds at the time. After touchdown the right main landing gear leg collapsed. The 707 turned 180 degrees, skidded off the side of the runway and caught fire.
Of the 202 passengers and crew on board, 176 died and only 26 survived. At the time it occurred, the Kano Nigeria Air Disaster was the deadliest aviation accident ever.[2]
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